Meet Mr Matthews
by LikeWoahhh
Summary: Sometimes you have to learn to forgive. Sometimes you should give second chances. But not always. [NoPairing]
1. Chapter 1

**Summarry:** Sometimes you have to learn to forgive. Sometimes you  
should give second chances. But not always.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, no matter how much I wish I did.  
Okay? 

///&

**Meet Mr. Matthews  
**_One_

"Man, you realize that guy's been followin' us for about twenty minutes now?"

"How observant of you _Pone_," Steve said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, his mouth curled into a cruel sneer.

"Aw, c'mon, lay off him for once, will ya Steve?" Two-Bit said, a smirk just begging to form on his lips. Steve and Ponyboy had never grown to be... _tolerant _of eachother. Steve thought Ponyboy was a follower, or in other words, a tag-along. Ponyboy thought Steve was an asshole, a jerk, (and whatever other rude word you can come up with) and was trying to steal his brother, Sodapop, away from him. Needless to say, they disliked eachother. A lot.

"Jerk," Ponyboy muttered, so that only Two-Bit could hear. Of course, he smirked, glancing at Steve out of the corner of his eye. He, Two-Bit, was the type of guy that_ loved _to joke around. The type that was almost never serious. At all. Don't get me wrong, he could be serious when it was needed, but when it wasn't, well, you could say he was pretty... immature.

However, Steve glanced over his shoulder again and cursed.

"Man," he groaned. "That guy's still followin' us. What do you think he wants?"

Two-Bit grinned, and stole a glance at the man as well. He looked to be in his early fourties.

"You wanna find out?"

Steve stopped in his tracks, and gave him a look that clearly said: 'Don't even think about it.' But Two-Bit wasn't one to be stopped, nor was he one to be told what to do. And so, he turned around, that goofy grin still plastered across his face. It was a shame, really, because he had absoloutely _no _idea what he was getting himself into. 

Ponyboy and Steve exchanged skeptical expressions before each of them grabbed one of Two-Bit's arms in an attempt to drag him away from the man, who's head was held high as he headed directly for them. Two-Bit however, had no idea what they were so afraid of. After all, it was just a man. A stranger. Someone they didn't even know. And he didn't look like the type to carry a weapon either. But, as the man got closer, he could make out the colour of his hair. A rusty brown colour that matched his own. The two colours weren't similar, they were _exactly the same_, which was odd, because Two-Bit had never come across anyone with the_ exact _same hair colour as himself. But the creepy resemblance didn't stop him.

"You gettin' tired of followin' us yet?"

The man looked shocked for a minute, but his composure was quickly regained as a small, warm smile spread across his face. This man seemed... friendly, which kind of disappointed Two-Bit. He'd been ready for a good fight. After all, why else would someone be following them all over town? It just didn't make sense. At all.

"Pardon me," he said in a slight drawl. His voice was rough, yet the sound of it relaxed Two-Bit, and he didn't know why. All he knew was that he'd heard that voice before, but he just couldn't place it. "But I was wondering... if... well..."

His face had taken on a pained expression, and it seemed hard for him to get the words out. All the three greasers could do was wait patiently for the man to...

"Spit it out!"

Ponyboy nudged Steve harshly, and gave him a look that clearly said to shut up. And, for once, he actually took an order from Ponyboy, and did exactly that as the pained expression on the man in front of them's face grew. The three exchanged glances, not knowing what to think, or even what to say.

"Look, if you're looking for money-" Two-Bit started, but was instantly cut off.

"No, I'm not looking for money," the man said, seeming to have regained some of his composure. That confident tone was back. "I was just wondering... is your name Keith?"

Two-Bit was startled. How did this stranger know his name? His _real _name. The small amount of people that knew him around here, other than his friends, knew him as Two-Bit, not Keith. It really made him wonder, who was this man, and what did he want with him? Was he a hitman? A police man? Oh god, did his mother die? Was this an officer come to break the news to him?

He suddenly remembered the night Mr. And Mrs. Curtis died. A police officer had come straight to the door. He still remembered the grim expression on his face, as he gave Darry, Ponyboy and Sodapop the news they dreaded to hear. The news they hadn't been expecting. And he still remembered the expressions on the three's faces too. Expressions of pure sadness. Grief. Unimaginable grief. 

"Yeah, I'm Keith. I'm known around here as Two-Bit, though..." he said, giving the man a confused look.

"Ah," he replied, a smile creeping onto his face. "See, I wouldn't have know that. I ran out on my own family before my second child was even born. Looking back on it, it was a dumb thing to do."

He was staring directly into Two-Bit's eyes. The smile had long since disappeared, and was replaced by a frown. And suddenly, he knew. He knew who this man was.

"So I guess you're a deadbeat dad then, huh?"

The man nodded, a grim expression now appearing along with the frown.

"Yeah. _Your _deadbeat dad." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Baha. In fact, I don't really even own  
Two-Bit's dad, do I?

**Meet Mr. Matthews  
**_Chapter Two_

Kathy Matthews, just having arrived home from a long day at work, was not prepared for what she would find once she slipped the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door with a turn of the handle and one small shove. But as soon as the door opened, and the couch was in full view, the keys fell from her hands and her mouth opened in complete shock. There, sitting on the couch, _her _couch, was the very man that had ran out on her and the family years ago. I guess you could say she wasn't that happy.

As Two-Bit looked up from the couch, the first thing she noticed was a bottle of beer in his hands. The second thing she noticed was that his father, George, had one in his own hand as well. Instantly, Kathy knew what he had done. He had bought himself, and thei- _her _son beer. Beer. Her son that _wasn't_ even of legal drinking age yet.

"Sorry George," she said coldly. "Keith isn't nineteen yet. But you wouldn't know that, would you? I bet you don't even remember the day of his birthday, do you?"

At that moment, Karen, her fifteen year old daughter, walked out of the kitchen, thankfully not holding a beer of her own. Kathy sighed in relief. At least he wasn't giving _her _alcohol. But really, what _did_ he think he was _doing_? He hadn't been around for years and now suddenly he just decided to come back into their lives? Well, she wasn't going to let him. Not without a fight. But he didn't seem to want to fight. Once her cruel words had been spoken, he just shrugged.

"He's eighteen, Kathy. Just one year under the drinking age. What's the big deal?"

Two-Bit, sensing his mother's anger, set his bottle down on the table. "Nah, it's alright... er... nevermind. It's alright. She's right."

His mother seemed proud of him, as she gave him a small smile. But that small speck of happiness was soon gone once George spoke again. She really wished she didn't have to hear his voice. But it wasn't his voice that was making her so angry and unhappy, it was his words. His words were what really ticked her off.

"Hey Keith, call me _dad._"

Kathy's fists clenched tighter, and her fingernails began to dig into her palms. Dad? _Dad_? When had he ever acted like a dad to Two-Bit? He hadn't even been around for _years. _Two-Bit probably hardly even remembered him. After all, he'd only been three when George had walked out on the family. Karen didn't even know him at all, considering the fact that she wasn't even born yet. Kathy did not understand how he could live with himself. If he cared about getting to know them he would've stayed, or at least kept in contact with them. He did neither of those things.

Two-Bit glanced nervously at his mom, but she just sighed in frustration and buisied herself with picking the keys up from the floor. He had no choice but to accept. After all, he didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings.

"Sure... er... dad."

Kathy made a small noise in the back of her throat, and hurried urgently into the kitchen.

"_Mom_?" Karen exclaimed, almost sure she heard a sob escape from her lips. She made to go into the kitchen, but George had other plans. He placed a hand upon her shoulder and shook his head. And then, without another word, he headed into the kitchen himself.

"GET _OUT_!" they could hear their mother screaming. "GET OUT! OUT OF THIS KITCHEN! OUT OF THIS _HOUSE_! LEAVE! IT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT, GEORGE! GET. OUT." This was followed by their father's voice, although they couldn't hear him clearly, since he wasn't yelling like Kathy was. She really wasn't keeping her cool, and Two-Bit and Karen couldn't understand why she was so angry. 

They exchanged confused glances, and Two-Bit shrugged. 

"Adults are weird."

However, Karen wasn't satisfied with this answer. Instead, she took a seat on the couch beside her older brother and placed her head on his shoulder. The tears that were welling up in her eyes made him aware that they were about to have a very heart-felt conversation.

"Two-Bit, why'd he leave? Before I was even _born? _Did he just _not _want to know me? And why is mom so upset? And... why is he suddenly back? I mean, why the sudden change of heart?"

Two-Bit sighed, placing his head on top of hers. "Aw Kare, I'm sure he wanted to know you. Some things just happen... y'know?"

Karen, now getting frustrated, sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But Two-Bit, _why_ is he back?"

"I don't know Kare," he sighed. "I really don't know."

And he really didn't. 


End file.
